Mentor Lagoons Marina buoyed by boater approval

Sean Holland of Madison Village waxes his boat on July 10 at Mentor Lagoons Marina. 2014 marks Holland's first season docking his boat at the marina and nature preserve.

Whether it’s the peaceful solitude of a summer weekday or the fellowship afforded by the camp-like community coming on weekends, the Mentor Lagoons Marina continues to be a hot spot for area boaters.
Last year’s 542 dockers — 461 wet slip and 81 rack customers — were a record at the Lagoons, and this season’s numbers are similar.
“It’s so unique,” Recreation Superintendent Paul Hegreness said. “Few places have a piece of land with it. If you check other marinas in the area, they’ve got openings. At the lagoons, there’s a waiting list.”
The property has capacity for roughly 550 boats, plus a ramp providing public access to boaters with daily or season passes. Those who don’t own their own boat are able to get into the water as well, via kayak and canoe boater education courses.
Crystal Leidy of Mentor-on-the-Lake is a first-year boater at the marina, and remarked on the friendliness of the staff when her family needed help entering and exiting the water for the first time.
“It looked the most pleasing; we did some research,” she said, adding that the spacious property was a draw, along with the short drive from home.
Sean Holland of Madison Village said he lives a little closer to the Geneva State Park Marina, but he also was drawn to the lagoons property.
“It’s an enjoyable getaway,” he said, “kind of a home away from home.”
He noted that even when Lake Erie is rough, the lagoon channels provide enough protected area to do some boating.
The ability to personalize their patch of earth also appeals to many dockers. Greg and Cheryl Lester of Fairport Harbor have a Hawaiian-themed dock alongside their 37-foot Sea Ray. It’s complete with a tiki bar, fountain and mini palm trees.
“They’re the only fake ones,” Cheryl said of the tropical plants along the fence fronting their space.
“We live in a condo complex that has dock space, but we prefer to come be here,” her husband said.
Not all of the boaters have been happy campers. Joe Cirino is among those who have lost property to crime in the secluded spot. He contacted the city earlier this season when his golf cart was stolen.
“I’m out $3,000,” he said.
He asked for video footage from one of the security cameras, but was told the recording portion wasn’t working properly. The vendor was contacted and that since has been fixed, Hegreness said.
Marina Manager Dave George, hired by the city 16 years ago, said all marinas have their issues.
“You can’t keep people from coming by water,” he said. “It’s no worse here than anywhere else. We’re fenced, we’re camera’d, we’re guarded. A lot of people don’t take time to secure their stuff.”
Police Chief Kevin Knight said, along with surveillance cameras, added security measures include additional patrols and the start of a marina block watch group.
“In the marina itself, it is no different than a residential neighborhood,” he said. “We need the boaters to be our eyes and ears. They will always have a better idea of who belongs in there and who doesn’t.”
The city purchased the 380-acre marina and park property for $8.9 million in 1997. The marina revenue covers its operations costs. With debt service, the city will have paid more than $14 million when the bonds are retired in 2017.
A number of improvements have been made since the city took ownership, including replacing the entry bridge; adding public restrooms, the boat ramp, a walkway, electric and water service to hundreds of docks, and breakwall repairs — a long-term, multimillion-dollar endeavor.
Such major investments in aging infrastructure are among the items being analyzed in a study by CT Consultants and another firm out of Benton Harbor, Mich.
“We don’t want it to become a financial strain on the community down the road,” City Manager Ken Filipiak said.
The city will need to coordinate planning for the future with other agencies, such as the Lake County Port Authority, which developed a Coastal Development Plan including the lagoons.
Mentor Lagoons Yacht Club member Roger Ponchin of Mentor has seen the marina under both private and public ownership, docking there since 1979.
“When I first came there was no water and electric down here,” he said. “It took a while, but they put it down here.”
Mostly it’s the land that keeps him coming back.
“You’ve got (hundreds of) acres to walk around,” he said.